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Key Dates

TLC Seminar - Thursday, Aug 8th @ 5pm (TODAY!)

TLC Seminar - Thursday, Aug 15th @ 5pm

Online Discussion Board - Students Today - Aug 9 to Aug 22

TLC Program Begins!

Our first TLC Seminar will be held on Thursday, August 8th. I'm looking forward to a great year with all of you. The TLC Program Newsletter is intended to keep TLC participants and mentors well-informed about what's happening in the program, program requirements, teaching opportunities, and where to find more information regarding topics related to teaching and learning.

Academia Preceptor Assignments

Each TLC participant has been assigned to an academia preceptor (aka TLC Mentor). Your Academia Preceptor will meet with you regularly this year and work with you to ensure you have completed all of the required assignments in the TLC program. Your academia preceptor is also responsible for completing your evaluations in PharmAcademic. Please be sure your Residency Program Director sets up your academia preceptor in PharmAcademic.

Here are the academia preceptor assignments.

I strongly encourage you to set a time to meet (either in person or using Zoom) in the first two weeks of August. You should plan to review the TLC requirements together and begin to map out how you'll complete these assignments over the course of the year.

Blog Essay Assignment - Schedule and Instructions

One of the required assignments in the TLC program is to write a blog essay about teaching or learning as it relates to health professions education. Your essay will be posted on the Educational Theory and Practice Blog (subscribe today!). One purpose of this activity is for you to use educational literature to inform your educational philosophy and instructional practices. While you are encouraged to share your personal experiences in your essay, your primary thesis should be evidence-based.

You have considerable latitude regarding the topic, but we want to avoid duplicating what others will be writing about this year. Moreover, I'd like to avoid significant overlap with other essays that have already been posted on the Educational Theory and Practice blog. Thus, before you start writing, please send me a quick email with your proposed topic so that I can "approve" it.

I've developed a BLOG ESSAY SCHEDULE and everyone will be assigned a due date for the initial draft of the essay. The schedule is primarily to reduce my workload (I can't review and provide feedback to everyone all at once) and help keep you on track (without a deadline you'll probably wait until June 29th to write your essay ... it's human nature!). Please review the schedule to be certain there are no major conflicts in your life that would preclude you from submitting your draft essay on that date. If, for some reason, you are unable to submit your draft by the due date, please email me and ask for an extension. I can be flexible, but you need to alert me in advance.

I've developed a rubric to help guide you (you can download it using this link). This is what I'm going to look for in your essay. It's important to use the education literature and include at least one primary research article. Your essay should include practical tips—things you believe educators should do based on the information in your essay. Feel free to include some of your own observations and experiences as a learner or teacher.

Lastly, as we'll discuss in the first TLC Seminar, several journals are dedicated to publishing scholarly works related to teaching and learning. Here are a few journals and newsletters to get you started:

• Academic Medicine (subscription required but some content is free each month)
• American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE) (free)
• Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning (CPTL) (subscription required but you may access through your health science library)
• Faculty Focus (free blog essays released every 2 weeks; focuses on teaching in higher education - not just pharmacy or medical education)
• Medical Teacher (subscription required; lots of great review articles)

We learn geology the morning after the earthquake.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blackboard Discussion Board!

From August 9th to 22nd, we'll be engaging in a discussion about two major forces that are impacting education today — specifically, student diversity and technology. I'd like everyone to think about and comment on these two important questions.

Student Diversity: In what ways are students today more diverse? How does diversity enhance the learning environment? How does diversity make things more challenging for teachers (and students)?In what ways are students today more diverse? How does diversity enhance the learning environment? How does diversity make things more challenging for teachers (and students)?

Technology: Technology use is ubiquitous. Students and teachers use a variety of technologies to communicate and engage in learning every day. How does the use of technology enhance the learning environment? How does technology make things more challenging for teachers (and students)?

Once you log into Bb, click on the Discussion Board link and select the "Students Today" Discussion board. There are two discussion threads. Be sure to post a comment in each thread and come back in a few days to read what others have posted.

During our TLC Seminar on August 15th, we will be discussing educational theories and learning styles. An educational theory attempts to explain WHY people learn. An educational method is HOW people learn. A learning (or teaching) STYLE is about general preferences for sensing and processing information.

To get started, please watch this short (15-minute) video about educational theories.

Watch this video

University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy

Contact: Stuart T Haines

Director, Pharmacy Professional Development

University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy

Department of Pharmacy Practice

Jackson, MS 39216

Email: sthaines@olemiss.edu

Office: (601) 815-1845